Immunisation with a polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine. Effect of respiratory mortality in children living in the New Guinea highlands

Arch Dis Child. 1981 May;56(5):354-7. doi: 10.1136/adc.56.5.354.

Abstract

In Tari, in the southern highlands of Papua New Guinea, each child experienced, on average, two acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTI) between birth and age 5 years. The yearly mortality rate from ALRTI was 30 per 1000 in infants, and 4 per 1000 in children aged between 1 and 4 years. A double-blind trial of a 14-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine was carried out on 871 children from this community who were aged between 6 months and 5 years. Morbidity from ALRTI was lower (by 37%) in children given the vaccine provided they were at least 17 months of age at the time of immunisation. There were 8 deaths from ALRTI in the placebo group, but only 1 death in the vaccine group.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Controlled Clinical Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Bacterial Vaccines*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Clinical Trials as Topic
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn
  • New Guinea
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial / immunology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / epidemiology
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / mortality
  • Respiratory Tract Infections / prevention & control*
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae / immunology*
  • Vaccination*

Substances

  • Bacterial Vaccines
  • Polysaccharides, Bacterial